Welcome to the blog of the Tasmanian branch of the Children's Book Council of Australia!

Saturday, 12 August 2017

Five Fun Ways to Celebrate Book Week

With Book Week just ahead
of us, Lyndon shares some timely tips on making the most of the literary event - celebrating and making connections with books, reading and readers!

Ah, here we go
again! The 19th of August quickly approaches, and for many years
now, right back into my childhood, Children’s Book Week has been one of my favourite
weeks of the year. I still love spending it zooming from school to school to
see what new stories inspire our young people. But there are lots of ways to
celebrate Book Week and its theme this year of “Escape to Everywhere.” Here are
a few you might not have thought of:

1.
Read a Book

Surprise! Who
would have thought this might make the list? For a few of our most esteemed and
bibliophilic members the shortlist and notables might offer no real surprises,
but for the rest of us it’s a wonderful opportunity to let someone else do all
of the hard work of uncovering the greatest gems of the last year. And don’t
rely on that winner! If you are anything like me you’ll just as likely find
your personal top picks somewhere a little down the chain.

2.
Give a Book

There is something special about giving
away a book. Most of us are far more
likely to read (and even enjoy) something that has been put into our hands by
someone we love and admire than any list of accolades or author quotes. I keep
multiple copies of my favourites for this very reason. One friend, upon
receiving one of these sacred tomes, looked almost horrified. “It’s a big deal
being given your favourite book,” she said. And she was right. But I still
never miss an opportunity to share the stories I love the most.

3.
Dress Up

What would Book Week be without
dressing up as your favourite character? I can still remember some of the
costumes that I wore in Primary School (who could forget the year of Billy the Punk?), and I feel closer to
the books because of them. Adults, don’t miss your chance to engage in this
tradition. You are never too old to feel like the hero of the story.

4.
Get Cooking

When my teacher read us The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe in
Grade 3, I had no idea what Turkish Delight was. Like the White Witch herself, Mrs.
Ashman brought a small tin into the classroom of thick, sugar-dusted pink
Turkish Delight. It changed the story forever, and I have loved Turkish Delight
ever since. This year Kylie Howarth’s Chip is one example of a story begging
for a food accompaniment. How joyous would it be to read this clever picture
book down by the beach, with a steaming parcel of hot chips all wrapped up in
shiny white paper? Bliss!

5.
Go on a Field Trip

The Eve Pownall Award for Information
Books offers a glorious selection of subjects and ideas this year. From
endangered animals to genetics and the life of William Bligh, they open up a
world of new knowledge that can be explored further at home or out at the
museum… even in the wild. You’ve read Gina M. Newton’s Amazing Animals of Australia’s National Park—why not go and see if
you can find them?

Lyndon
Riggall (@lyndonriggall) is a writer and pre-service teacher from Launceston.
His next work, a play titled “U L G” about life, death, and
education, will be performed with Mudlark Theatre as part of the Junction Arts Festival in September.

1 comment:

Book Week is always such a wonderful celebration of creativity and talent especially in primary schools. Thanks for the great ideas Lyndon. It is essential that every year Book Week is "fresh" and exciting for children and shared strategies are an important part of this!

About Me

The Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) is a volunteer run, not for profit, organisation that was established in 1945 and is comprised of branches of individual members who are passionate about children's and young adult literature. This is the blog of their Tasmanian branch.